Camping and boat launching trailer



I June 10, 1969 v .L. R. ROBINSON-m 3, ,8

V CAMPING AND BOAT LAUNCHING TRKILER Fi led Dec. 26. 1967 Sheet of 2 INVENTOR, 0w 2. )06/N5'0N, Je.

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June10, 1969 1.. R. ROBJNSO-N. JR

CAMPING AND BOAT LAUNCHING TRAILER Filed D50. 26, 1967 INVENTOR, (401 0 8. 905/? BYN United States Patent 3,448,875 CAMPING AND BOAT LAUNCIHNG TRAILER Lloyd R. Robinson, Jr., Box 1321, State College, Starkville, Miss. 39762 Filed Dec. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 693,443 Int. Cl. B60p 1/46, 3/32 US. Cl. 214-75 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention provides a device for both transporting and launching a boat, in which a trailer adapted to be hauled by another vehicle has a horizontal bed bearing upright support numbers which in turn bear an overhead support means from which the boat is slung. The support means are extendable rearwardly of the trailer, so that the support boat may be carried out clear of the trailer, and subsequently launched. The vertical support means may bear vertical wall panels hinged at the top so that they may swing outwardly and upwardly to form a protective roof.

. place to place While at the same time giving the boat adequate protection from the elements, and also enabling the boat to be launched readily and safely in shallow Water. Thus, for example, in the Okerlund patent cited, launching is accomplished by skidding the boat into the water at an angle, which is hazardous and uncertain at best. In the Muse device, the shelter is removed from the boat, leaving the latter on a bare trailer of conventional construction from which the boat is launched by a sliding or skidding process as in the Okerlund device. This conventional and time-honored invention of launching a boat is not only hazardous, as already stated, but is impractical where the depth of the water adjacent the shore is barely great enough to float the boat in normal floating position. The

downward momentum of a boat launched by skidding may well cause temporary grounding of the boat during launching, which may damage the boat as well as the propeller, an out-board motor and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a trailer which may be used to store a boat with protection against the elements, to transport the boat to and from a body of water, to launch the boat safely and securely into even shallow water, and which may further be used to provide shelter adjacent the trailer itself.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of my trailer, showing the boat in launching position.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end view, partly in section, taken as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a detail view showing a portion of the telescoping support means, taken as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing one of the support roller bearings.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the telescoping support means in an embodiment wherein only a single overhead rail is used.

Generally speaking, and in accordance with illustrative embodiments of my invention, I provide a trailer which has wheels and which is adapted to be towed by another vehicle and which has a horizontal bed which is supported by the wheel means. The horizontal bed bears vertical support members laterally disposed at the sides of the bed, and top support means borne in turn by the vertical supports. These, toegther with the vertical supports and the horizontal bed, form essentially a hollow enclosure within which the boat is contained, the boat being slung on suitable boat-carrying means attached to the support means, the latter being horizontally extendable by a sliding or telescoping action so that the boat may be hauled out of the trailer enclosure so as to be free of the trailer and yet supported in an overhead fashion. In the latter position, it may then be launched by any desired lowering mechanism, such as a rope and pulley arrangement, so that it eventually is lowered to depth in the water. I may also provide wall panels hinged at the top and supported along the top of the vertical support means, so that the panels may be swung outwardly and upwardly to provide a lean-to type of roof shelter for the ground space immediately adjacent the sides of the trailer.

Coming now to a specific embodiment shown in the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows my inventive boat trailer 10 comprising a horizontal bed 11 which is supported by a wheel assembly 12 and bearing a yoke 13 and trailer hitch 14 of conventional construction to permit the trailer to be towed by another vehicle such as automobile 15. To the horizontal bed 11 are attached vertical supports 20 and 21, which in turn bear a top support assembly 22, which include a horizontally extendable support means comprising a pair of hollow rails 23 and 24 which are secured to the vertical support means 20' and 21. These in turn bear a pair of sliding rails 25 and 26, which are enabled to slide horizontally with respect to rails 23 and 24 in a relatively frictionless manner because of roller bearings 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, as shown in FIG- URE 4. Additional sliding action, to accommodate lengthy boats, is provided by sliding support member 40, and its counterpart 43 on the other side, support a crossbar 44 from which the boat is directly slung by means of straps or slings 46 and 47, through a hoist 48 which may be a chain hoist or rope and block-and-tackle assembly, depending upon the weight of the boat. A jack 49 is shown temporarily in place between the ground and the back end of the trailer, so that the weight of the boat when extended rearwardly will not overbalance the trailer. When not in use, the jack 49 is swung up against the trailer body, to which it is preferably attached.

As mentioned, FIGURES 1 and 2 show the boat in launching position. They also show the boat in phantom inside the trailer enclosure, which is its position before being moved to the launching position. For actual transport, I prefer not to rely on the slings to support the boat, but I provide blocks 71 and 72, as indicated in FIGURE 3, onto which the boat may be lowered so that it will not sway with respect to the trailer when being transported. Keel supports 39 and 73 support the keel of the boat.

For relatively light boats, instead of the two horizontal rail assemblies 23 and 24 as shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, I may use a single telescoping rail 50 as shown in FIGURE 6. Here the inner hollow rail 51 slides with respect to the fixed hollow rail 52, and additional horizontal motion is obtained by the support device 53 which slides inside the channel of rail 51 on roller bearings 54, 55, 56, and 57. A chain hoist or block and tackle or the like is suspended from the support arrows 58 as before.

FIGURE 5 is a detail view showing a preferred manner of emplacement of a roller hearing, such as 30* in its supporting steel channel.

In order to provide protection from the elements, I affix a top panel 60 across the inside top of the trailer, and furthermore, I attach side wall panels 61 and 62 to the trailer by hinge means 63 and 64. Furthermore, I provide latch means 65 so that the two side panels may be set at any desired angle. In FIGURE 3, the left side panel 61 is shown fully extended, to form a horizontal lean-to roof. I provide setting means 66 and 67 for securing the side panels in downward, closed position. I also prefer to provide the horizontal bed of the trailer with a panel 70 so as to provide for a complete enclosure. This is useful in keeping water and mud from splashing upward onto the boat and onto anything else which may be stowed within the trailer, during transportation.

It will be evident that when the boat has been removed, the enclosure provided by my trailer is useful for general camping and picnicking purposes and is rendered especially convenient by the adjustable positioning of the side panels 61 and 62 in the manner already described.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A camping and boat launching trailer apparatus comprising: a trailer with Wheels thereon; means mounted at one end of the trailer to be connected to a vehicle for towing said trailer; stabilizing means mounted at an end opposite to said first named end to stabilize said trailer during a boat handling operation; said trailer further comprising a horizontal bed; boat support means mounted on said bed; vertical support members laterally disposed at the sides of said bed; laterally spaced guide means mounted on top of said vertical support members; a hoist frame support assembly movably mounted in said guide means for longitudinal movement relative to said trailer; a boat hoist means movably mounted on said assembly; said boat hoist means and at least a portion of said assembly being movable to a position longitudinally rearwardly of the trailer a sufficient distance so that a boat can be launched by said boat hoist means; panel means secured to said vertical support members and defining with said horizontal bed a hollow enclosure of sufficient dimension to receive a boat therein; said panel means including side wall sections disposed on opposite sides of the trailer and hinged adjacent the top of said vertical support members so as to swing outwardly to provide a roof means for a camping space laterally adjacent said trailer, first latching means operatively connected to said vertical upright members and each of said side wall panel sections to positioned the latter at a preselected position; and second latching means mounted on said panel sections to position the latter at a preselected closed position.

References Cited GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

R. B. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 296--23 

